Page 1 of 1

detroit - autolocker in 80/105

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 7:16 pm
by nicbeer
Hey,

does having a auto locker in either of the above cruisers create any other issues?

approx 33" tyres and being used as daily car, tourer, mild/med wheeler.

ta

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 8:19 pm
by vk7ybi
Increased tyre wear.
Drivability changes.
Will need a part time 4x4 conversion.

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 9:33 pm
by nicbeer
this will be for a 80 std or dx so part time already.

i already drive a welded rear sierra so cant be any worse.

in a full time 80 if locker is in rear , still need a part time kit?

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:00 am
by vk7ybi
nicbeer wrote:this will be for a 80 std or dx so part time already.

i already drive a welded rear sierra so cant be any worse.

in a full time 80 if locker is in rear , still need a part time kit?
It has been said that welded rears are nicer to drive, as there is no unpredictability with the ratcheting of the locker to deal with.. I use Lokkas and seem to do alright with them, however.

Front or rear, youll need part time..

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:28 am
by RAY185
The old man had a detroit on the rear of his 80. I'm not a fan. He's had it in for years and only just fitted a part time kit a few months ago....

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:24 am
by Wambat
supposedly the detroit softlocker is the best auto you can fit( you would hope so for nearly the cost of an air locker) and it no more noticeable than an lsd, unlike the lokkas or lock rites that make little noises. but as far as i am aware, if everything is installed correctly and you take some time out to learn how to drive with them, insted of being a tool( if you are one, if not it wont matter will it) they are fine

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:42 pm
by TheBigBoy
I had a full detroit in the back of my cruiser. Chewed tyres out, alot of stress and wear and tear. Spat axles and I ended up smashing all the side gears to peices. Fitted an air locker. No drama's to date.....

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:23 pm
by the_quokka
Wambat wrote:supposedly the detroit softlocker is the best auto you can fit( you would hope so for nearly the cost of an air locker) and it no more noticeable than an lsd, unlike the lokkas or lock rites that make little noises. but as far as i am aware, if everything is installed correctly and you take some time out to learn how to drive with them, insted of being a tool( if you are one, if not it wont matter will it) they are fine
is this it ?

http://www.jegs.com/i/Detroit+Locker/35 ... A/10002/-1

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:33 pm
by Wambat
big boy, was it the series 4 soft locker, which is the one most people talk about with 4wds, or one of the other ones which are (if i am correct) used for drag racing and are more like spools


http://www.yotatech.com/f31/detroit-loc ... ker-50332/

i have been having a read through here, they guys are talking about the difference bettwen the soft locker and the normal detroits.

also i know from previous history on the 4wd action forum there is a massive thread on the detroit, with some really really good tech, i ws reading it a few years ago when i was dead set on getting one.

basically(this is all as far as i remember) the detroit has come from how it first started through 3 different versions and the fouth is the soft locker, which as fat as i know, is gentle, and very very good, they are a whole class about the lokka, and the lock right, and very different from the previous detroits, i think it has soemthing to do with them taking less force to unlock, so when turning they unlock easyer, and there for shouldnt wear your tyres or break stuff.

the only reason i can see that you would have more tyre wear, is that its to tight, and is acting as a spool(or welded diff) and isnt unlocking,

but in the end, i would also like to put forward, all my thoughts are based on reserch and not actual real world experiance, i would love to have some real world experiance, and if i had the cash i would probably put two soft lockers in my 75,

although i have been thinking about having auto lockers since i first thought about putting alocker in my first 4wd, i have to say considering how far i have gotten off road in my dual single spinnered 75, i am considering air lockers for the reason of being able to try with open diffs first

however, i still like the thought of not having to worry about turning it on, or having an airline to rip out, or have get brittle, and in the end, i can pretty much say i will go the auto route, with a series 4 being the one i want. ( but i will probably be a penny pincher and try the lokka or lockrite first)

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 6:57 am
by TheBigBoy
wombat - Mine was a full detroit (meaning generation 1 or 2 and suppossed to be unbreakable) Ive also read the new softlocker tech. allthough they unlocker easier and softer. When a little harsh on the acceleratorit still locks up in a turn and you get backlash and hopping. And you do learn to drive it to compensate for this (popping the clutch etc). But for an everyday driver it will still give you the shits.

Like already stated on here its $$ are pretty close to airlocker $$$. So for an everyday driver thats what I would be choosing. Go offroad, flick some switches and your done.

I was cheap and tried lockrights etc aswell. Dont waste your time or money. I had 2 and ended up giving them away. Although it was set up by 2 different lockright installers. It used to spit the dowls and pins and chew them up. Clunking in corners and ended up rounding off some of the edges aswell. Had it out about 4 times... IMHO crap....